The Sims 4‘s “My Wedding Stories” expansion pack will not be released in Russia due to its promotion of same-sex marriage.
LGBTQ weddings could already take place in the game, which is why it’s marked as for those 18 and older in Russia, the expansion pack caused particular gay panic due to the marketing campaign that featured two female Sims, Dominque and Camille, planning a wedding.
Related: Did Barbra Streisand threaten to pull her music from Spotify?
Russia’s “gay propaganda” law, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2013, prohibits the distribution/marketing of any LGBTQ content to minors, and as such, the “My Wedding Stories” campaign violates that law.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
In a blog post, the creators explained their decision not to change the marketing campaign to comply with the country’s anti-LGBTQ law.
“The ability to tell stories – any story – is at the core of what we do at The Sims. Holding back Cam and Dom’s story meant compromising the values we live by. We are committed to the freedom to be who you are, to love who you love and tell the stories you want to tell.”
They went on to lament that Russian players will not be able to purchase the expansion pack but emphasized how important it was to them to stay true to their values.
“Over the years, you’ve delighted us with the ways your Sims have found love and celebrated that love through weddings in our base game. You’ve also shared with us your eagerness to walk down the aisle, have your Sims take their seats and shed a tear of joy as you made a lifelong commitment.”
“When we set out to create ‘My Wedding Stories’ this was the vision we had for our global community: the joy of finding love, celebrating that love and telling stories that have meaning on a personal level.”
They signed off with a message to the “Simmers around the world,” telling them “we are grateful to have you in our universe.”
